The Canada West announced on Friday that it is taking an extra 26 days to ponder the fate of its conference's winter sports, like women's basketball with a decision expected by Nov. 2. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2020. All Rights Reserved)
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It’s a win, win, win: UBC, Fraser Valley, Trinity Western AD’s trumpet Canada West’s vote to extend window of study on winter sports season

LANGLEY — Student-athletes from the Canada West got a little more reason to believe that winter can still be their sports wonderland.That seemed to be the consensus on Friday after the conference, which includes seven B.C. member universities, announced that it would extend the window of time during which it would determine the fate of […]

This week, the Varsity Letters podcasts welcomes UBC's Wilson Wong and ex-UVic basketball PxP voice Guy MacPherson.
Feature Podcast

09.30.19: Varsity Letters-The Podcast gets historical with UBC’s Wilson Wong, ex-UVic Vikes radio man Guy MacPherson

Varsity Letters — The Podcast is back on the air. Looking back isn’t our usual habit, but with the pandemic shutting down what would normally be a frenetic fall season of high school and university sports, we’re going to be heavy on history this week. UBC’s manager of Sports Information Wilson Wong joins us off […]

The simple idea of collecting memories from its vast tree of alums has helped bring the UBC men's basketball program closer together than ever, despite the global pandemic. Pictured clockwise from bottom left are UBC stars Ron Thorsen (with ball), Paul Johannson and Kevin Hanson, and J.D. Jackson (14). (Photos property of UBC athletics 2020. All Rights Reserved. Photo collage by Gabriel Lynn)
Feature University Men's Basketball

A Sunday Read: How the storytellers of UBC men’s basketball wrote their own history and strengthened bonds in a time of disconnect!

VANCOUVER — In these most disconnected and fractured of times, when our most basic instinct of reaching out to others in an act of the heart is so often compromised by the frustration of new realities, here is a story about finding connection.“Early in COVID, I would be out on my walks… I was doing […]

UBC Thunderbirds' middle distance star Kieran Lumb, a Lord Byng graduate, has transitioned from a national-level cross-coudntry skier (right) to future Olympic hopeful. (Photos by Jeff Sargeant, UBC Athletics and David Lumb. All Right Reserved. Photo graphic by Gabriel Lynn)
UBC Thunderbirds' running back Kory Nagata was eulogized this past week by the many he both touched and inspired over his life on and off the football field. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2020. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Football University Football

A Sunday Tribute: For UBC’s Kory Nagata (1996-2020), football was a glorious portal to the possibilities of life

RICHMOND — Finding a perfect state of balance while doing the thing you love the most is powerful enough to change the way you see the world.

Longtime South Delta Sun Devils' soccer coach Stephen Burns (centre), with co-coach Brent Sweeney, was named Thursday as a co-winner of the B.C. School Sports' 2019-20 B.C. high school Coach of the Year award. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2020. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Soccer

Stephen Burns: BCSS coaching honours awarded to South Delta Sun Devils’ longtime champion of B.C. high school soccer

TSAWWASSEN — It may have been the shortest and the quietest B.C. senior girls high school soccer season on record, yet its voice seemed to be within constant ear-shot of one its most passionate advocates.“Every time we had a game, I’d look at the schedule, and I’d think ‘Oh we should be playing right now,’” […]

This week, the Varsity Letters podcasts welcomes three guests to chat about the Canada West's cancelled fall season.
Feature Podcast

06.09.20 edition: Varsity Letters – The Podcast examines the ramifications of Canada West’s cancelled fall season!

NORTH DELTA — Welcome back to Varsity Letters – The Podcast for June 9, 2020. Big news this week in the world of Canadian university sports means we’ll welcome three guests to the pod this week! Joining us will be UBC Director of Athletics Kavie Toor, longtime Trinity Wester University head women’s soccer coach Graham […]

UBC Thunderbirds head coach Blake Nill feels that if given a safe environment with which to play, that 2020 could be the year that the Shrum Bowl returns after a 10 year absence. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2020. All Rights Reserved)
There is still hope that players like Fraser Valley Cascades' rising second-year forward Katie Lampen (right) and the rest of the B.C.-based teams in the Canada West women's and men's soccer worlds will be able to play meaningful exhibitions later this fall, if the environment is deemed safe by provincial health, as well as university authorities. (Photo by Dan Kinvig property of University of the Fraser Valley athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Football University Women's Soccer

Despite a cancelled fall season, B.C.’s Canada West schools keep alive hopes of meaningful inter-province competition!

The Canada West’s fall sports season may have been officially cancelled Monday due to the COVID-19 pandemic, yet some coaches and administrators from the conference’s B.C.-member schools seemed united in their hopeful belief that with a continued flattening of the curve throughout the summer months and all the appropriate green lights flashing, that its core […]

UBC Thunderbirds track and field coach Laurier Primeau. (Photo by Jeff Sargeant property of UBC athletics 2020. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Track & Field University Track and Field

Varsity Letters podcast 06.04.20 edition: UBC Thunderbirds track and field coach Laurier Primeau on the power of sport to effect positive change

Welcome to the Varsity Letters podcast for Thursday, June 4.  Today we welcome UBC Thunderbirds head track and field coach Laurier Primeau back to the podcast to chat about the state of the sport and the loss of the spring season following his program’s dual win at the 2019 NAIA national championships. Laurier also reflects […]